Headlines — February 23, 2023

February 23, 2023

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Boulder High And Several Colorado Schools Fall Victim To Fake Active Shooter Calls

What appears to be a coordinated fear campaign targeted close to twenty schools across Colorado yesterday, forcing lockdowns and law enforcement response. Among those affected was Boulder High School. A University of Colorado Police dispatcher received a call Wednesday around 8:30 am from someone claiming they were outside the high school, armed with weapons, and about to enter the school to commit murder.  Sounds of what police described as realistic gunfire followed. 

None of the schools experienced a physical attack. Authorities are calling yesterday’s statewide pattern of calls of simulated violence an incident of apparent swatting, a term that refers to fake emergency calls designed to provoke a large-scale law enforcement response, oftentimes with SWAT teams.

Boulder Officials Refrain From Disclosing Location Of Proposed Drug Recovery House 

The City of Boulder has decided to move forward with purchasing a house and transferring it to a drug rehab for a total of ten occupants. According to the Denver Post, the purchase of the home is $1 million and comes from Boulder’s affordable housing fund. The decision is part of the Project Recovery Initiative, seeking to combat drug addiction across Colorado.

Additional grant money from a non-profit that helps individuals recover from substance problems, will cover the cost of day-to-day operations at the home. According to the Denver Post, the city has refused to disclose the exact location of the property. That decision has reportedly drawn protests from Boulder residents. 

Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett told the Denver Post that he supports the city council’s decision to withhold information saying other rehabilitation houses are already in existence in undisclosed locations.  

According to the Denver Post, two more drug rehabilitation houses are being planned for other locations in Boulder County.

Democratic Lawmakers Announce Bill Proposal Limiting Gun Purchases To Coloradans 21 And Over 

A group of Democratic lawmakers say they will introduce a bill in the state legislature by the end of the week that will limit all firearm purchases and possession to individuals 21 and older.  The limitation includes rifles and shotguns but carves out exemptions for sport shooters, military members, single-shot rifles used by hunters and supervised firearm possession. 

The bill’s sponsors Sen. Jessie Danielson of Wheat Ridge, Sen. Kyle Mullica of Thornton, Rep. Monica Duran of Wheat Ridge, and Rep. Eliza Hamrick of Centennial unveiled the proposal in an interview with the Denver Post Tuesday evening. Using statistics from the Giffords Law Center, sponsors say the new legislation will help to prevent the high rate of violence and suicide perpetrated by young people using firearms.

Teller County Judge Says Sheriff Can Partake In Federal Immigration Enforcement 

A District Court Judge ruled Wednesday that the arrest and detainment of individuals on immigration charges performed by the Teller County Sheriff’s office is legal, despite a 2019 state law prohibiting local law enforcement from doing so. The county has entered a 287(g) agreement with ICE, allowing state officers to enforce federal immigration law in exchange for training. The American Civil Liberties, or ACLU, filed a lawsuit to inhibit the sheriff’s office from entering into the agreement. 

The District Judge in his ruling said the agreement allows county’s deputies and officers to act as designated immigration officers under the supervision of ICE, which is lawful and consistent with Colorado law. A study by the ACLU of North Carolina found the agreement tolerates “racial profiling and baseless stereotyping, resulting in the harassment of local residents and the isolation of an increasingly marginalized community.” The ACLU of Colorado plans to appeal Wednesday’s ruling.

DPS Superintendent To Release Latest Plan For School Closures Amid Declining Enrollment

During tonight’s Denver Public Schools Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Alex Marrero will present the district’s plan to address low enrollment. The plan names 15 schools with low enrollment and their likely closure during the coming years.  Last fall amid community outcry, school board members rejected a proposal to close ten schools by the end of the existing school year. 

The district’s latest plan presents several actions for low enrollment schools including an additional timeframe for closure, phasing out grades by not enrolling new kindergartners or sixth-graders, unifying closing schools with other nearby schools, and considering other community-generated options during the next six months. According to the Denver Post, the latest update by district officials considers three schools – Denver Discovery, Mathematics and Science Leadership Academy, and Fairview Elementary – as having critically low enrollment with Marrero possibly recommending their closure by the end of the current school year.

Longmont Library Accepting Prom Formal Wear Donations

The Longmont Library is asking community members to donate gently used formal and semi-formal attire that is appropriate for teenagers to wear for the upcoming prom season. The aim of the donation drive that ends Mar. 19  is to eliminate the prohibitive costs for teenagers taking part in prom. 

Library officials say they can accept a range of styles and sizes, but are in the most need of non-dress items like suits and tuxedos. Donated items must be dry cleaned with tags still attached. 

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